Bar at the Beginning of the Universe
by Green-blobs-and-blue-apples
Summary: From the beginning to the end of time, there has always been a place for everyone to get along. The Haven offers a safe place for creatures of all backgrounds to sit side by side and talk out their problems. There are just a few rules to abide by; No fighting, no maiming, no killing, and absolutely no business (demons, hunters I'm looking at you).
1. Chapter 1

This is where it all starts. Before man walked the earth, there were angels, then demons. Soon there were countless species, not including humans, though most of them preferred to stay in the shadows, humans moved to the forefront and the prey became the predators. Just as there was always conflict, there was also a safe haven for all things in the know of things that go bump in the night.

It started as a small cottage in a serene meadow where creatures of all sorts would laze in either the sunlight or moonlight. The keeper would deliver food and drink to those who desired it. As humans evolved, so did everything else. The forest around the meadow was cut down to make way for businesses and housing, so The Keeper adapted. At first, she decided on a bar because your more oblivious humans had a strange aversion to alcohol. Granted they were probably smart on that move, as it wasn't very good for them. Still isn't, but as the years passed, their thinking changed and grew. Unfortunately, they became ignorant too. This was a good thing for the creatures who preferred to stay in the shadows, away from the now dominant species.

The haven still exists in the form of a rather unassuming hole-in-the-wall bar that could be accessed from either a door in Chicago or any one of the numerous portals around the world. The inside is dimly lit but spotlessly clean. The bar itself was made of teakwood, a symbol of the eternity that the bar had been there and will continue to be there. It was enchanted so that any scratches, rings, nicks, etc. would wipe right off. Even with this spell, the bar felt _old_ , ancient, even. The floor had been in since the ancient Babylonian empire and was a beautiful gray stone work. The Keeper kept the bar well stocked with old liquor, new liquor, beer, wine, and even blood for the vampiric patrons.

Though humans in the form of hunters did stop in, they were few and far between. They usually came in without an idea of what they were walking in to, so problems would often arise with them. The rules were posted in a few different languages: English, Latin, and ancient Greek were the main ones, but they were simple. No fighting, no killing, no business, and no maiming. If anyone broke the rules, they would be kicked out, though The Keeper would almost always give one warning and one warning only. Things escalate too fast for anymore. Most of the time, if someone needed to be escorted out (read: kicked out), it was typically other patrons that would do it. If for whatever reason you were escorted out by The Keeper, you weren't welcome back, ever.

The nice thing about being some unnamed nearly immortal species, was that you didn't need to sleep. Or eat, for that matter, but The Keeper would sometimes eat just because she felt like it. While others often referred to her as The Keeper, she took up a human name. During the last few centuries, she stared going by the name Ariella Thomas. She tried, anyway. Everyone either calls her The Keeper when they aren't talking to her, or Ace when they were.

"Ace! Another please!" The demon shook his empty glass at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Demon or not, patience is a virtue, Erin." She took her glass and filled it up.

Erin held her hand out expectantly.

"Say please," Ace teased.

The demon grunted. "Please?"

The Keeper gladly handed her the stiff drink.

She swung around on her seat and slid off back toward her table.

One by one, the rush slowed to a crawl, just in time for a demon she didn't particularly like to come sauntering through the doors.

"Azazel." She greeted tersely.

"Ah, sweetheart, how's your sister? Still missing?" He taunted.

"Don't think _you'll_ be missed when _you_ go missing." Ace set his usual drink down in front of him.

"Oh, you wound me, darling."

"I'll do much worse if you keep it up."

He laughed then moved to a table and started chatting up some other demons.

"What a creep." Ace turned to see a witch in the seat next to where the yellow eyed demon just left.

"Yeah, but until he breaks the rules..." she trailed off.

"What about unspoken ones? Or unwritten ones, rather?" The witch tilted her head.

"Hasn't even done that. I do have my own rules to abide by, and he knows it."

"What about that sister he mentioned?"

"Haven't seen nor heard from her in, what 2,000 years?" She shrugged. "I'm sure she's fine. What do you want to drink?"

"You'll find her." She glanced it the numerous bottles behind The Keeper. "I'm thinking some absinthe. The real stuff, not what they make now."

Ace nodded and filled a glass for her. "There you go."

"Thanks." The witch slapped a twenty euro on the bar and walked away with her drink.

The Keeper tucked the bill into the register. She checked the bar for any orders and when she received none, she started wiping the bar down. If she were being honest, she missed the meadow and her cottage. Now she was stuck in the middle of a large human population without her sister, working alone at this bar. Maybe she should hire some help. The populations of most species were growing to ridiculous numbers. She was already planning on enlarging the inside of the bar, as it wasn't that hard to do, but she wanted something else. She just wasn't sure exactly what it was. With that thought in mind, she finished cleaning the bar. Now she had to gather the dirty dishes. Yes, a chef would be great idea. There are just too many people to keep up by herself anymore.

When there was only a few patrons remaining, she went to work on the poster. "Chef wanted," it said, "Contact Arielle Thomas at The Haven for details". There was no contact info. Anyone who had business reaching her knew how and better yet, knew where.


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I forgot to mention this in the first chapter, but here is my contribution to supernatural fanfic! Also this, like all my other stories (or lack thereof) will be as I get the uncontrollable itch to write them, unless you like crappy writing and entirely canon divergent stories.**

 **Thank you for the review, Curious reader! There will be more well known characters. One issue I have is that I have a couple of such encounters written, and I really need to rewrite them. A lot of the first encounters will be short and based more around the bar than the characters themselves. But I do have a general outline of how I want Sam and Dean introduced here.**

 **As for characters that I will, for sure put in here... well, the only ones I've decided were for sure not going to visit are certain angels because they're jerks. And by that, I just really don't see them relaxing at a bar or a... well, you'll see!**

 **The other issue is that I am super behind and kinda lost interest in Supernatural, at least to watch. That isn't to say I don't like the show. (Why would I write fanfic if I didn't like the show? Writing takes too much effort to put it into something you don't like) I merely have no motivation to watch more.**

 **Another thing... If at all possible, get an account! I would love to reply to reviews a little more personally! Because as a guest reviewer Ican't reply to your reviews!**

 **Inspiration struck me for this, so here it is, though I also have an Avengers ear-worm wiggling around... Enjoy these characters and things that are for the most part not mine to claim!**

* * *

It was a rainy fall night in Chicago, not that Ace went out much. She was busy drawing up plans It was a demon couple that gave her the idea to not only expand the inside of the bar, but to create a courtyard of sorts that resembled her meadow. It wouldn't be quite the same, but it would allow her a few moments of peace now and then.

A few people replied to her poster she put up several weeks ago, and she ended up hiring a mousey little witch. Not the kind of witch that usually frequents The Haven. Maria admitted that while she claims to be a witch, she has never made such a deal with a demon. She proved to be an excellent chef. Better yet, she was kind. The girl didn't have a mean bone in her body, so The Keeper offered her a high wage with the stipulation that if she wasn't busy in the kitchen, then she will work the front, at least until she found some more help.

The bar was bigger now, having completed the expansion. The courtyard was desolate at the moment, she was still waiting for the naiads and dryads to arrive, but they weren't due for another two weeks. There were issues with their travel plans. Humans were getting a little too close.

It was slow day with only three patrons in the bar. Ace sat at the bar sketching out on some parchment the design for the garden. Maybe a large maple for color in the fall and cherry blossom trees for springtime. Flowers aren't a priority, but a pond and a running stream was.

Beside her, a throat cleared.

She looked up. "Oh. Hey, Nora, who's this?" The Keeper rolled up the plans and tucked them into her jacket.

"This is Crowley," she gestured to the balding demon beside her. "He's a crossroads demon."

"Welcome to The Haven. Follow the rules and you'll be just fine. What can I get you?"

"Craig. Aged at least thirty- "

"Got it." She nodded once. "Your usual, Nora?"

"Yes ma'am."

Ace went to work immediately, as per usual, and moments later she had their drinks in front of them.

"So- what's a woman like you doing in a place like this?" Crowley sipped his drink.

"Listening to cheesy one-liners and offering a safe place for all. Food and drinks are just a bonus." She moved to fill someone else's glass.

When she returned several moments later, she noticed the male demon looked rather annoyed.

"How long have you been running this place?"

"Longer than you've been alive," she preferred to keep the answers to questions like those vague. Those who knew didn't ask, not that there are many of them around. Azazel was one of them. He wasn't there for the first few millennia… Those times were just angels, God, and occasionally, Amara. The keeper hasn't served any of them in a very long time. Shortly after the end of the pharaohs. Now it was mostly demons, witches, and shifters.

"Well if you don't know…" he started, lifting his drink toward her

"Crowley, stop antagonizing her. You don't want to piss her off." Nora warned.

He just gave her a look and took another sip.

"It's fine Nora. If I can't handle a little bit of goading, I have no business running this kind of bar."

The sound of shattering glass tore them from their conversation. All three of them turned toward the commotion. A demon and a vampire were at blows. Another vampire stood off to the side staring at the spectacle in horror.

"Excuse me." Ace wiped her hands on a towel and drew a shining blade. Making her way to the scene, she ripped the demon off the vampire, slamming him against a nearby table. The table broke under the force. "Stay." She pointed her weapon briefly at the vampire then grabbed the vampire by his coat. "If you want to make trouble here, you can leave. Take this somewhere else. I don't care where, just take it anywhere else." Her voice, though harsh, remained even. She glanced at the vampire "Leave."

The vampire and his mate apologized profusely and slapped a couple of large bills on the table and scurried out.

"You need to leave." She released him and put her blade back in place in a sheath on her thigh.

The demon scrambled up and out of the bar.

She placed two more glasses in front of the remaining customers. "This round's on me."

"Thanks, love," Crowley drawled, finishing his previous drink. He slid the empty tumbler toward her.

"Don't mention it."

"I won't," He quipped.

She grabbed her towel and cleaned the two tables that had been caught in the fray. With a flick of her wrist, the broken table repaired itself. It felt a bit too Marry Poppins to her, but she had a business to run that needed fully functional tables. She turned toward the shards of glass littering the floor and repaired that too, then gathered all the functional glasses and took them back to the sink. When she returned, Crowley was gone. Just an empty glass and a few bills.

"He got summoned," Nora explained.

The keeper nodded and collected the money from both the demon and the vampire that ran out. With a sigh, she pulled a poster from her jacket. It wasn't too different from the last one. This one just said "Help wanted. Contact Arielle at The Haven". She posted it on the door outside before she returned to her cleaning and restocking.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I'm back!**

 **Thank you ReneeFury!**

 **So, I came up with this story after reading a most likely very old text post about accidentally summoning a demon then ending up with a sort of lunch spot where demons and angels chill. (Actually, it's probably pretty old because it wasn't hijacked by the Supernatural fandom) So, I can't say the idea is totally original, but I'm glad you guys like it!**

 **I really hope this chapter turned out okay, it is a pretty big one. I almost completely rewrote it, a couple of times. It still seems a little bit off, but I can't quite place it... If you have suggestions, I am all ears. (Eyes, really. With glasses.)**

* * *

Countless months passed by with only minor issues. Time was weird when you had such a long lifespan. Occasionally, The Keeper would wonder if she could die at all, but leaves that thought as she's called across the bar. The issues were just simple drunken arguments that were easily taken care of either by her, one of her staff, or some of her patrons.

The staff now included Wren, Lane, and Fae. Wren was another cook. She got along quite well with Maria and were now inseparable. Lane and Fae were waiters. With the expansion, she needed more eyes. Unlike the cooks, who were both witches, Lane was a demon and Fae was one of the last of her kind. She was a true kitsune. Unlike the ones hunters tend to go after, she doesn't feed on the pituitary gland of humans. Instead, she eats much like a human, but doesn't mind a little fresh meat now and then.

Fae explained that true kitsune were hunted to near extinction. Some factions evolved to save their race, but became real monsters instead. Though, she admitted, most of them just take from already dead bodies, as gross as that is. (To which a ghoul in the bar at the time took offence.) She spent most of her time tending to guests in the meadow.

Today must have been demon day, though a djinn came and left. There was a total of twenty demons, four vampires, Ace, Fae, and Wren. Conversations were quiet and eyes were searching rapidly for eavesdroppers. That's usually the first clue that something was starting. Usually at this point, Azazel would come to gloat, but he was mysteriously absent. In a sense, this worried The Keeper, but the meadow seemed to wash those feelings away.

The meadow was in a permanent state of night. The only light was the full moon and the stars. Of course, she made sure the full moon had no effect on concerned parties. It was littered with cherry blossom trees and a few large maples. The stream cascaded down some rock into a hot spring she helped the naiads with. While they were excellent with water, she had to prepare the rocks and the heating.

The Keeper walked into the bar to send Fae on a break. "Hey." She took the glass from Fae's hand. "You're on break."

Fae shrugged. "Thanks. See ya in thirty. I've got a kid to feed." She dropped her towel and walked out the door.

Ace spent the next few hours filling and retrieving glasses. Fae returned exactly when she said she would and quickly began helping Ace keep up with the amount of orders.

When it died down a bit, (a bit meaning five demons left) She sent Wren on a lunch break. "Come back in two hours to finish your shift," she told her.

As she left, two hunters walked in. This usually spelled trouble. Ace turned up some generic rock music (It was all the same to her) to give some amount of privacy to the whispering demons.

They sat at the vacated bar, arguing about some hunt they had just finished with vampires.

She approached them. "Welcome to The Haven. What can I get you?"

"Whiskey. Double." The short one glanced at her.

"And you?" She prompted the taller one.

"Uh, same, I guess."

She turned around and filled the drinks. Ace had the sinking feeling that they had no idea what kind of bar they walked into. The demons were staring at the two. An entire group got up and left in a cacophony of farewells. Ace set their glasses in front of them.

"Thanks," the tall one muttered. He appeared to be unnerved by the stares.

Dean eyed a nearby couple. "What is it, scumbag Friday?"

The Keeper raised an eyebrow. "Is it Friday?"

Dean chuckled and took a drink. "Christo," he whispered.

The couple turned and hissed, their eyes flashing black.

The brothers jumped up, spilling their drinks, and drew their pistols.

Ace crossed her arms. "Those won't do any good here." She gave the couple another round of beer and ushered them off.

"It'll hurt." dean aimed the weapon at her.

"Not really." She picked up her towel and mopped the spilled liquor.

"Click." She looked up, rather irritated at their gumption.

"What the hell?" Dean fiddled with his gun, whining. "Mine never jams."

"Put those away." And they did, only for the shorter one to pull out a rather large knife. "Really?"

"You betcha, sweetheart."

"Uh, Dean?" Sam anxiously looked around. Several demons had gotten to their feet, ready to intercede as needed.

"You wanna talk, Winchesters? Let's talk." She made a motion and everything stopped.

"What did you do?" Sam demanded.

"Put your weapons away, and we'll discuss this like civilized people," she offered. "Drinks on the house, even."

"I think we should, Dean." Sam stared around the room. They were in an instant of time. Not that there were any clocks to be found.

Dean put his knife on the table. Ace shrugged.

"Time is relative," she explained. "It's not too difficult to change that perception with a lot of practice. Especially in certain planes of existence."

"Planes of existence? What the hell are you smoking, Lady?" Dean scoffed.

"I am The Keeper of this plane, and it's a neutral one. Hence, the posted rules. You come here, you abide by my rules."

"So, what, like a real-life Hellfire Club?" Dean frowned.

The taller brother gave him a weird look.

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "Hellfire Club?"

"Yeah, its- uh, never mind."

"So, you get demons, vampires, witches…" Sam trailed off.

"As I like to put it, all those in the know." She shrugged again. "Makes for a good riddle even if it sounds stupid."

The hunters looked at each other, confused by her antics. Maybe she wasn't all that different from Eleanor and her clan. When they reached a silent agreement, Dean took his knife and shoved it back in his pants.

"You two good? I can lift this loop and you aren't going to attack anyone?" She pursed her lips.

They looked at each other again.

"Yeah, we're good. Besides, you've got good well whiskey." Dean finished off his drink.

The corner of her lips twitched. "It's a little enchanted. Changes a little to suit your taste."

"Huh."

She sat another glass in front of him.

"Does your vodka do that too?" Sam gave her a puppy dog face.

She laughed, "No, the vodka is just vodka." She released the hold she had on time.

The other patrons must have realized that something happened, and returned to their own conversations.

"It is a pretty neat bar." Dean relented. "Good booze."

"We've got food too."

Deans face lit up. "Pie?"

"Yes, I have pie."

Sam rolled his eyes with a groan while Ace laughed.

"You must be an angel. Are you?"

She scoffed. "I'm a primordial being. No, I'm not an angel. Call me Ace."

The two hunters, over the surprise, seem nice enough, considering they were hunters. She'd heard the news a couple months ago. A few demons came in crowing about it until she chewed them out.

"Hey, uh, sorry about your dad," she offered. "I mean, I know I'm a stranger and all, but family is all you've got at the end, so, yeah." She awkwardly scratched the back of her neck. A rather human habit she picked up from the many witches that have come through here.

Dean just grunted.

"Thanks." Sam gave a weak smile.

She returned the smile and hurried into the kitchen. When she came out, several minutes later, they were gone. The brothers left their empty glasses and a wad of bills on the bar. Ace pocketed the money and went to work. The whispering of the demons had gotten much louder, confirming her suspicions. Something was starting and those two are right in the middle of it.


	4. Chapter 4

**HERE WE GO! I feel like I could have put in a lot more dirty jokes in here, but as a sort of introductory chapter... well, just wait until next time. It'll be awful!**

 **You guys are awesome!**

 **Now, curious reader... I love the suggestions, and will definitely take them into account! I have no idea where I'm going yet, especially they are basically one-shots with a little sub-plot going in that I probably make entirely to obvious. But, yeah, I imagine the bar quite similar to God's bar, though not necessarily with less booths. More tables, definitely. It is a popular place after all. Just about any dark dive-ish bar will have booths along the wall in some shape or another, so that's just how I see it... Large round booth in the back corner for stereotype reasons, and booths along the wall, and regular tables between there and the bar itself... Maybe I should edit the first chapter for a better description...**

 **Although, karaoke with Gabe, sounds like a pretty solid idea either way I go. I really like Joss Whedon's philosophy on writing. "Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke."**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy the typical antics of feathers!**

* * *

The bar had changed considerably since its doors first opened, but it still had that dark cozy feel to it. The meadow, though, was way different. It was pleasant and peaceful, yes, but it felt so staged to The Keeper. It felt a little better once she put an element of time to it, allowing for seasons, daylight, and natural growth.

Her sister was always better with nature-related things. The Keeper was truly just a keeper of peace. One that couldn't move between the planes easily.

She frowned at the thought of her sister and scrubbed angrily at a spill.

"You're gonna destroy the lacquer doing that, Sugar."

Annoyed, she looked up to see dark golden eyes. She narrowed hers. He was purposefully hiding his aura, causing her suspicion to rise. "It's enchanted teakwood. It's fine."

He raised his hands defensively. "Alright, alright, just lightening the mood."

She saw a shimmer in him and realization struck her.

Seeing this, he jumped in. "The name's Loki."

Ace scoffed and set the towel down. "Yeah, whatever."

"So, what's a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?" He leaned over the counter.

She rolled her eyes. "First, no business," she warned, "and second-"

"Oh, Sugar, I _never_ do business. I am a strictly pleasure kinda guy."

The keeper scowled at him. " _Second,_ " she continued, "You have to tell me what you want to drink because I'm not going to read your mind."

He chuckled. " _That's_ right. Grounds of neutrality and all that jazz. Been a long time, Keeper. Say, where's your gorgeous sister?"

"That topic is off limits. Black card."

He frowned briefly. "Wait. You watch television?"

She shrugged again. "The eighties and nineties were a bit slow. What do you want to drink?"

"How about a purple nurple?"

Ace made a face of disgust. "If you were anything else, I'd probably tell you where to shove it." She turned to make a drink. Loki's eyes remained on her.

"You can," he offered, grinning. "As long as you're doing the shoving."

She whipped around. "You _really_ don't want me to do the shoving, Feathers. You won't like the result."

"Sugar, I've got the feeling we are having two very different conversations." He leaned back, smirking as she finished his shot.

"There was only one there as far as I'm concerned." She set the shot glass down.

"Aw, come on, when's the last time you let loose?" He paused, taking his drink in hand. "Have you ever let loose? Done the do?"

"What are you, five?" she retorted. "The word you are looking for is 'sex'. You know damn well I'm no saint."

He threw back his shot and the liquid nearly spurt out of his nose as he snorted. "Of course, you're not a saint. You'd have to be human for that." He set the glass down and coughed. "Really, it's been _that_ long?"

"I don't know how _you_ would know _, Loki_ , you weren't even a speck in the universe around that time." She crossed her arms with a glare.

"I hear things," he lied.

The Keeper opted to ignore him to go make a round of cleaning up empty glasses and filling new ones.

"Come on, Sugar, don't ignore me," he whined when she got back behind the bar.

"You're so clingy," she replied dryly.

He groaned. "Fine, I get it. You don't love me."

Ace just stared blankly.

He hung his head briefly before suddenly perking up. "I gotta go, Sugar. Thanks for the drink. I've got some hunters to torture."

Rolling her eyes, Ace took the glass. "Goodbye Loki."

He slid her some cash and bounded out the door.

"Tricksters, right?" Ace turned her head to see Fae standing by the counter with a fresh drink for a customer in hand.

The Keeper gave a sort of knowing smile. "Yeah, tricksters." She shook her head. "I'm taking a break. I'll be back in an hour. If it gets crazy, come get me." She slid into a hidden door that led to a small living room-type place. There was a couch, a television and a fully stocked mini-fridge. She flopped down on the couch and turned the TV on to watch an episode of one of the shows she found in the last fifty years.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'M BACK!**

 **I'm sorry it's taken me so long, but, it should be known I'm not all that of a reliable updater, especially since classes are back in session.**

 **This term has taken a toll on me with two and a half math based classes, (I say half because that one is not actually a math class) I am usually inundated with homework and labs.**

 **I will try to work on this story when I can, if you feel my writing quality has gone done, or I'm making people OOC or giving them rock-like personalities, let me know!**

 **Also, let me know what you think of this one! Personally, this one is my favorite interaction so far. Unfortunately, the mood is a bit depressing, understandably so.**

 **Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Blobs**

* * *

A few weeks after the incident with a certain trickster, things started going sideways. There was a drastic increase in demons and an even bigger increase in problems. By problems, The Keeper means fighting, killing, and maiming. She was quite tired of these rowdy demons. Many of which have visited some time ago, but were simply too excited to get out of Hell. One demon in particular was the subject of many glares from fellow demon-kind. The Keeper didn't like her too either, though she couldn't put words to the feeling. Was this a feeling that humans get?

She shrugged the thought off as the unknown feeling settled deep in her gut. It was a bit like swallowing a hamster. Ace set a full glass in front of the strange demon. She had taken possession of an average height blonde woman. Her face was set to a scowl, meeting everyone else's gazes defiantly.

The whispers said something along the lines of her being a traitor and a hunter-lover. The Keeper knew these accusations to be false. If nothing else, Ruby's presence here proved the whispers wrong and nothing more than judgmental thoughts. Though Ace had a feeling- she was getting quite a lot of those lately- that at least some of these demons were planted, purposefully spreading lies.

She sighed. Her patrons have been telling her less and less of what's going on outside. She never thought she'd be irritated by that, but she was. Then again, Ace was sure that most of them didn't know what was going on themselves. The good part of all this was that Azazel stopped showing his face. That probably meant he was dead. The Keeper couldn't find it in her to feel much of anything toward that. Maybe a small bit of relief that he won't bug her about her sister anymore.

She sighed. Her sister. Azrael. The whole reason she took up the humanized name "Ace". It really started as a nickname for Azrael, but after she disappeared, The Keeper refused to let her fade. She was still alive, Ace was certain of it. It happened sometime during the first war, and quite a time after her and "Loki" had their fling. Unlike the barkeep, Azrael was not able to maintain neutrality, no matter her efforts.

A vaguely familiar face walked in, interrupting her thoughts. It took her a moment to recognize him. Her surprise at seeing the hunter was overshadowed by the fact the he was alone.

"Dean," she greeted cautiously. She tried her best to gauge his mood. It was difficult at the moment, but she recognized it as something similar to her own.

He nodded, no flash of his white teeth, just eyes that looked much to weary for a human of any age. "Ace."

She poured a glass then sat a bottle in front of him. "Drink up," she offered kindly. She took the glass and raised it to him. "To our best friends, Jim, Jack, and John."

"That I'll drink to." He grabbed the bottle and took a swig.

She was grateful for the lull in customers. The ones that remained were as equally morose as the hunter and owner.

"I was thinking of maybe starting a karaoke night. Once a week at most. More likely once a month."

Dean looked up at her startled. "I hope you're not expecting me to sing, sweetheart, 'cause I don't sing unless it's in a car."

She gave a sly grin. "That can be arranged." She chuckled. "No, I didn't expect you to join in, Dean. I thought you could do with a laugh now and then." She glanced around the bar. "I think everyone could in the upcoming days."

"Why?" He sat up a little straighter. "Do you know something about what's going on?"

She shook her head. "No, I really don't. Demons that come in nowadays are either depressed and have no clue, or they're fresh from the pit and are entirely too much work to handle. Even so, in my neutrality… I couldn't tell you."

Dean sank back into the stool. He hesitated. "Have you been to Hell?"

She tilted her head. Realizing what he meant, she gave him a sad smile a bit more fitting for how both their nights (was it night?) were going so far. "No. My sister went a few times before she disappeared," she shook her head and poured herself another drink. "I've never left here. This is all I've ever known and will probably ever know."

He chugged half the bottle, making The Keeper's heart twinge for him at the sight. "Sammy and I did what we always said we'd do," he admitted.

She just looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"We killed the bastard." He had a determined gleam break through his tired eyes. "We killed the Yellow-eyed demon."

She leaned over the counter. "I was just beginning to wonder where he scuttled off to. He usually likes to come in and gloat at least once a month."

"Not a fan?"

She snorted as she stood up to fill a witch's drink. "Not hardly."

When she returned, he'd nearly finished the bottle. "Want anything to eat?" She offered, though she knew he would decline.

While her mood was at least temporarily improving, she knew it was only a matter of time before she fell right back into that slump. It was strange and rather challenging to get used to these feelings, mostly because she had to re-learn how to interact with people. Though, a few billion years certainly changes people for better or worse. Ace hoped that she was becoming a better-well, whatever she was.

Dean grunted after a moment of hesitation, breaking her out of her thoughts once more. "No thanks."

"Are you staying nearby?" She inquired, simply so she knew when to cut him off.

"Yeah, Sam and I got a room 'bout a block away."

She nodded thoughtfully and set a new bottle in front of him.

He eyed her carefully.

"Dean." Her voice was quiet, hesitant even. "Would you do me a favor?" She nervously bit her lip.

He narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

"I have a difficult time leaving this plane…" She paused. Maybe she shouldn't ask this of him, but it couldn't hurt, right? "While you're out and whatever, could you possibly…" She twisted her lips into an ugly frown.

He just looked at her, waiting for her to finish. The hunter needed to get back to the motel soon.

"Could you keep an eye out for my sister?" She finally blurted.

Dean was honestly surprised at the request. It was simple, though it was highly unlikely that he'd come across Ace's mysterious sister, but with all this free booze and a slight cheering up, it was really the least he could do. "Yeah. I can do that. I doubt she's on Earth though or one of these freaks would've mentioned something."

She frowned at his remark. "She may not be, but I don't know about that second part. There's quite a few demons that _really_ don't like her. But, uh, if you see her, you'll know it, and tell her to stop by."

Dean agreed, likely helped on by the alcohol, and drank half the bottle before he decided he should probably leave. He caught her eye and left some money on the counter.

She smiled and nodded at him, since she was busy with a stubborn vampire that couldn't decide on which whiskey he wanted. As Dean left, she slammed a glass in front of the customer and told him to "Shut up and drink". Ace then decided to take a few hours off and let her employees do their job while she retreated to her little hideaway.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'M BACK! Oh man, so much stuff to do that I have been neglecting this short (enter my disgruntled noise here) chapter. It took awhile because I wasn't sure how to fit in a KARAOKE NIGHT that didn't look or sound like every single karaoke night I've seen in fics.**

 **Thank you for the ideas! I changed a couple because I thought it was a little bit more fitting, but if it isn't, let me know, and I will see what I can do about it.**

 **I love hearing your guys' opinions and ideas, and you've all been so nice and helpful that I felt really bad about not updating in forever. I am determined to finish this story!** **(My struggles with the other one are mentioned in the story itself)**

 **So, lots of dialogue and "dialogue", so here you go!**

 **(Song info at bottom)**

* * *

It must have been a Friday night. The place was packed, the noise was loud, and the atmosphere… Tense. Among the louder drunken conversations, there was something no one was talking about. The name "Lilith" was brought up a few times, but those discussion never edged any further into the subject.

The only comfort this brought The Keeper was that the topic avoidance wasn't centered on her sister. Several of the demons and almost everyone who wasn't a demon was on edge. It was most aggravating. Whatever was happening outside, was drawing people in here and as much as she liked the business, Ace knew it wasn't a good sign.

Making a split decision as one trickster walked into the bar, she flicked her wrist, subtly expanding the bar to accommodate the sheer number of people and a brand-new stage, DJ booth, speakers and a microphone.

Loki's eyes widened as he approached the bar. "Whiskey?" His attention drawn over to the setup.

She handed him his drink.

"Karaoke night?" He questioned with barely contained excitement.

"As soon as I make the announcement." Ace turned to Lane. "Wanna DJ tonight?"

"Yeah," he grinned. "Sure beats, serving these losers."

At that, the vampire gave him a disgruntled "hey" before laughing and throwing a napkin at him.

Lane laughed as the napkin landed in the vampire's drink and made his way to the booth.

Loki followed her employee to the stage and his song choice began playing shortly after.

Ace groaned. Duran Duran always aggravated her. Their songs all kind of sounded the same

"Darken the city, night is a wire."

She did her best to tune out the music, but it just got louder.

"Steam in the subway, Earth is afire."

Some of the patrons were bobbing their heads along to the music, watching the trickster intently. As a result, the intense conversations died out along with the heavy atmosphere. Nearly everybody's moods lightened. Those that were irritated by the rather sudden loud 80s pop music started filtering out.

"Woman, you want me, give me a sign."

The Keeper filled some emptying glasses.

"And catch my breathing even closer behind."

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a few familiar faces entering the bar.

"In touch with the ground, I'm on the hunt I'm after you."

They found some openings at the bar.

"Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd, and I'm hungry like the wolf."

"Sam. Dean," she greeted, placing full glasses in front of them.

"Straddle the line, in discord and rhyme."

"Hey," Dean lifted his drink and nodded.

"I'm on the hunt, I'm after you."

"Hi." Sam hardly looked at her.

"Mouth is alive, with juices like wine, and I'm hungry like the wolf."

"Is that-" The older hunter stared in disbelief at Loki.

"Yes, that's the Trickster," she interrupted.

He saw the irritation on her face. "Why Duran Duran?"

"Stalked in the forest, too close to hide," Loki continued flawlessly.

"Ask him," she groused. "Of the thousands of bands to choose from…" She shook her head.

"I'll be upon you by the moonlight side."

Sam and Dean watched the singer silently.

"High blood drumming on your skin, it's so tight."

Ace grunted as she walked over to clean up a spill.

"You feel my heat, I'm just a moment behind."

This was why she didn't do karaoke before. She noticed, despite her hatred of this song, most everyone else was enjoying it to some capacity.

"In touch with the ground, I'm on the hunt, I'm after you."

She would probably just have to write a list of banned songs and bands. All for her sanity of course. She supposed her employees should have a say too.

"A scent and a sound, I'm lost, and I'm found and I'm hungry like the wolf."

She returned behind the bar and refilled the hunters' empty drinks.

"Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme."

"Thanks."

An unfortunately familiar demon walked in.

"I howl and I whine, I'm after you. Mouth is alive, all running inside, and I'm hungry like the wolf."

The demon was in a reasonably pretty blonde meatsuit. She slid onto the barstool next to the younger hunter while the older one scowled into his drink, finishing it off quickly.

Ace refilled his drink yet again, this time placing a shot next to his glass.

"Hungry like the wolf."

"Hey Ace? This is Ruby," Sam introduced her.

"Hungry like the wolf."

"Hey," the demon nodded.

The Keeper looked at her disdainfully. "Hello. Drink?"

"Uh, no thanks."

"Hungry like the wolf."

"I've got to go make a round." Ace left abruptly, leaving the three in an awkward hushed conversation.

Other demons cast hateful glares in Ruby's direction, but Ace knew they wouldn't do anything about it, though any intervention if they did might be a bit slow. It was a busy night, after all.

Loki finished the last bit of the song with flourish, as to be expected, earning him a hearty applause.

A few other patrons went up, showing off their singing skills, or in some cases, lack thereof. Nearly two hours later, Ace returned to the bar, allowing Fae to patrol the floor in her stead. To her relief, Ruby left while she was away, and Sam was hammered drunk.

"You should go sing something, Sam," The Keeper suggested. "Anything you want."

"No, no," he drunkenly shook his head.

"Come on, you can't be worse than her," she gestured to the stage where some witch was butchering 'Don't Stop Believing'. It wasn't karaoke night without at least one butchering of the iconic song.

"Fine," he groaned, staggering to his feet.

As the Witch finished, the hunter stumbled to the stage. His brother sniggered from the bar.

It should be known that Samuel Winchester should probably keep his night job. Singing was not his forte, as was evident in the first notes of the song.

"Sometimes a feel like I don't have a partner," he slurred, surprisingly on time. "Sometimes I feel like my only friend, is the city I live in, the city of angels, lonely as I am, together we cry."

"It could be worse, I guess." At this, Dean went from sniggering quietly to full on guffaws at Sam's attempt at singing. It was more on the lines of trying to talk quickly but slurring and stumbling over the words.

"I drive on her streets 'cause she's my companion," he paused getting behind in the music. "I walk through her hills 'cause she knows who I am. She sees my good deeds and she kisses me windy. I never worry now that is a lie."

Throughout the entirety of the song, he would get ahead of the music and behind. It was a miracle he ended on time with the music. Someone took his place as he stumbled back to his seat.

"That was great, Sam," Ace smiled indulgently.

He flashed a dopey, lopsided grin. "Thanks, Aysh. You're the bess!"

She giggled as Dean's shoulders shook, trying to keep his laughter in.

"Your turn, Dean." Sam turned his attention to his brother.

"Huh-uh." The hunter in question shook his head vehemently. "No way."

"Come on," Sam begged.

"Absolutely not. In fact, I think it's time to get back to the motel."

"Deaaan," Sam whined. "You're a big, big, meanie. I wanna hang here." He gave his brother his signature kicked puppy look.

"Dude. No. We gotta get to Bobby's tomorrow."

Sam sighed angrily and stomped toward the door.

Dean sighed, turning to Ace. "I'll, uh…" He paused and threw some money down. "Bye, Ace."

"Goodbye Dean," she answered morosely. "I'll see you around."

He gave a soft snort. "I guess you will. See ya."

He followed his brother out the door, calling his name.

Loki slid back up to the bar. "So sweet cheeks…"

The Keeper rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. She was definitely making a ban list for karaoke nights.

* * *

 **Songs used/mentioned:**

 _ **Hungry like the Wolf**_ **Duran Duran 1982**

 _ **Don't Stop Believin'**_ **Journey 1981**

 _ **Under The Bridge**_ **Red Hot Chili Peppers 1992**

 **If you question my choices, I'll be glad to explain, you need only ask!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm Back! (ish)**

 **College has been getting me down, so finding time to write is a pain... okay, it's mostly laziness, I'm sorry...**

 **Seriously though, learning to code in r and then matlab sucks.**

 **This one is a bit short but it gets kinda real, I suppose. Admittedly, this is more filler than side plot or whatever, but you learn a little bit more about the sister and The Keeper's struggle.**

 **Also, I found a few small errors that irk me in previous chapters, so if you get a bunch of alerts (those that are following) and only one chapter, that is why.**

 **I miss your guys' input**

 **Read and enjoy (and please tell me if my grammar is the suck because it irritates me when it is)**

* * *

The days and nights blurred together, much like they always do. The Keeper's vague sense of time only came from the waves of busyness. Even that wasn't reliable. Patrons came from all over Earth Hell, and once-upon a time, Heaven. The only plane that didn't meet up with hers was Purgatory. It was probably for good reason. She didn't fancy fighting off leviathans, the only species she has, to date, fully banned. Nowadays they were stuck in Purgatory, so they weren't a concern.

The concern was the demons talking about a certain Winchester's deal. He had not yet found a way out, and the demons were getting antsy. The Keeper was sure they had no idea what this meant. Granted she didn't know any of the details either, but she did know that it's not good.

Especially when said Winchester walked in alone.

"Ditch your brother?" She poured him his usual.

He gave a non-committal grunt.

The Keeper rolled her eyes and moved to tend another patron.

When she returned, she leaned over the counter. "How long?" She asked softly.

"'Bout a month."

"Your brother is still trying."

Dean nodded as he threw back his drink.

Ace promptly refilled it.

"I'm goin' to hell."

"I hope your brother succeeds," she offered. As far as she was concerned, the two hunters deserved something good for once.

"Me too," he admitted, his voice barely audible above the buzz around them. "He wants to work with a demon to do it," he said a little louder.

"That generally tends to be a bad idea."

"That's what I told him, but he's too freaking stubborn for his own good." He finished his second drink.

Ace handed him a half a bottle. "So are you. Ever the protective older brother."

"Are you making fun of me?" He narrowed his eyes menacingly.

"I have a little sister." She huffed. "I get it."

Dean immediately leaned back and relaxed. "I forgot," he admitted.

She shrugged. "Most people do. That's why I make it my job to remember."

He poured himself another drink. Then another.

Ace tended the various patrons, solving some issues that arose. She spotted Wren out on the floor doing silly magic tricks for some customers. The sight made her smile.

Looking back at Dean's pity party, she felt a stab of loneliness. She remembered someone telling her about a saying that was about feeling alone in a crowd. She couldn't remember the quote, but that was how she felt. Ace cursed herself. _Damn human emotions._

Back at the bar she took Dean's last drink and downed it. He looked up in surprise at her frown.

"I needed it. Don't bother paying tonight." She grabbed a new bottle and glass and walked around to the barstool next to him. "Just because I can't get drunk, doesn't mean I can't try."

Dean held up his glass. "Amen."

The rest of the night (to Dean), they shared a few bottles. Ace had never commiserated like this with anyone and while it was a nice bonding moment, she knew better than to let it happen often.

"Technically, Azrael's my niece, but not really. I mean maybe as much as you and Joe are cousins. As far as I'm concerned, she's my sister and one way or another, I will find her."

"You're pretty close, aren't you?" Dean question as he drained his last drink.

"Yeah," she stared into the amber liquid. "Very."

She continued staring into the drink long after the hunter gave his goodbyes. Ace just kept thinking about her sister and whether she would ever see her again. Or if she was even alive. She tried not to think of that possibility, but as the whiskey swirled so did her thoughts into the depths of her fears. The one thing she tried to ignore was clawing at her heart like an angry panther after seeing the hunter in such low spirits.

"Ace?" Someone called from behind her. "Ace?"

She looked up to see Fae with a concerned look on her face.

"Why don't you take the night off. Maria and I've got this." She took the empty bottle.

The Keeper finished off her drink. She noticed a piece of paper with a number on the table and a name written above it. _Bobby S._ Realizing it must have been from Dean, she pocketed it. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Go," she urged.

Ace trudged to the hidden door and entered her room until whenever the next 'day' would be. Hopefully then, she would feel better. She sincerely doubted it.


	8. Chapter 8

**It's been awhile! College really kinda kicks my butt sometimes. Or a lot of times when I have coding classes. This is me procrastinating.**

 **This time we meet more characters, and I am kind of thinking of going the AU route.**

 **I think I really need some sleep but I've got a plot bunny playing ping pong in my head, so I've been secretly working on that (it's not supernatural). (I'm sorry!)**

 **And while this story is very much post as I write, I want that one to get sorta finished so I can totally rewrite it anyway as I post it.**

 **Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated, especially as I finish finals and projects for this term!**

 **Thank you!**

 **A rather blue-apple**

* * *

The bar was too quiet. It made The Keeper feel uncomfortable. There were no whispers aside from the occasional mumbling about a Winchester in Hell. Not even Lilith had been heard from.

Ace wiped up a spill from a rowdy shapeshifter. Apparently, the uncomfortable silence didn't extend to entities that could not hold their liquor.

Four humans walked into the bar. The keeper probably would have said something about it, but one look at the complete devastation on Sam and the older male hunter gave her pause. The two women, while not at the same level, hosted looks of despair. She had drinks for all of them before they made it to the bar. A nearby demon sneered at them but left to a table silently.

"Thanks," Sam mumbled.

"It's no problem, Sam. Have you eaten?"

The older man looked at her kind of funny.

The Winchester shook his head. "Not hungry."

She nodded in acknowledgement but set a bowl of salted peanuts in front of him.

"Just what kinda joint you runnin' here, girl?"

"Pardon me?" Ace raised an eyebrow at the gruff hunter.

"I ain't repeatin' myself."

"Perhaps Sam could enlighten you. Rules are on the door incase he forgot them." She crossed her arms.

The man in question shook his head. "'s alright, Bobby. It's neutral grounds. You don't attack them, they won't attack you."

He frowned.

Ace sighed. "Safe haven for all in-the-know, blah blah. It's a bar that serves those who respect the rules."

He grunted.

"Just don't start anything."

"Could I get a burger?" The younger of the two women asked.

"Cheese? Bacon?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

The other woman sent her a scathing look.

"Please," the blonde added.

"Of course." She looked at the older woman. "Anything for you?"

"No thank you, honey. This'll do."

The Keeper nodded and sent the order back to Maria.

"What are your names?" Ace refilled their drinks.

"I'm Ellen, this is my daughter, Jo."

"Welcome," she greeted kindly, "I'm sorry we met under these circumstances."

Ellen returned a sad smile.

"You ran the Roadhouse, correct?" The Keeper inquired after a round around the bar.

Ellen looked down. "Yeah."

"I could use some help here, if you're willing." She gave Jo her burger. "I can't imagine it's terribly different from keeping peace amongst a bunch of Hunters."

"I'll give it a thought," she replied politely.

It wasn't long before Sam was slurring with the copious amounts of alcohol.

"More," he demanded, slamming his glass on the bar top.

"Now, Sam-" Bobby started.

"No. I can still see righ'. I wan' more."

"No."

Sam stood up abruptly.

"Go home Sam. You've had too much."

He grumbled something but stumbled to the door.

Bobby tried to pay, but Ace refused. "I do this entirely too much, but it's on the house."

The older hunter shrugged but chased the drunken Winchester out the door.

"You're not takin' no for an answer." Ellen placed some money on the counter.

"Let me know what you decide."

She nodded. "Take care, now."

"And you."

The last two humans left the bar.

At that moment a demon slide onto one of the stools. "Does that mean my tab's on the house too?" She gave a charming smile.

Ace frowned at her. "No."

"Why not?" She pouted.

"Because I don't fancy you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, I'm sorry. I don't have anything to blame but myself.**

 **I was busy earlier this summer, but not enough to excuse my lack of writing and updating.**

 **This is a bit of a filler with hints as to what's to come. I have ideas floating around, but I a lot of them are totally unrelated to this story. My next story I'm going to totally write out before I post, so the only delay in posting will be forgetfulness.**

 **Thank you everyone who has stuck with me this far!**

 **Ideas are welcome, I'm kinda thinking another karaoke chapter needs to happen with a bit less plot and more filler, 'cause my girl is depressed. Also... I would like to point out that I do not condone drowning sorrows in alcohol, but this is a Supernatural fic (albeit a super short chapter) so, here you go.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

The demons were scarce. The bar was filled by mostly witches and various other minor beings; filled being approximately half the bar. Lane kept busy, scrubbing already spotless tables. Three demons quietly shuffled in, dripping wet from wherever they were coming in from. They ducked into a dark corner.

"Alright, what's going on?" The Keeper demanded as Lane filled the newcomers' drinks.

He didn't look at her. "Dunno."

"Lane-"

"I really don't." He returned to the table with their order.

A smug blonde strutted into the bar a few hours later.

Ace set her drink of choice in front of her.

"Cheers." She smirked.

"Not that I don't enjoy seeing you in here, and I don't, what are you doing here, Lilith?"

The demon in question just grinned and took a drink.

The Keeper rolled her eyes in response.

"It's started."

That made her pause. Angels were returning, bringing the apocalypse with them. While it wouldn't directly affect her, the patronage would drop drastically, and she would likely wind up being lonely. She wouldn't let Lilith win though. "I'm not sure why you're so happy about it, you aren't going to live long enough to see it through."

She narrowed her eyes, but wisely choose to stay quiet.

The door opened again, this time to reveal an exhausted trickster. He pointedly sat right next to her.

"Loki," Ace greeted carefully as she began mixing up a fruity drink. "It's been awhile."

Lilith sneered at him and slid off the barstool to find an empty table.

"Make it strong, sugar."

"Already on it. One AMF coming right up. Extra stiff."

"You're the best," he gushed.

"Speaking of," She set the completed drink down. "I need a huge favor."

"Whatcha need?" He took a big gulp, making a face. "'S good," he coughed.

"Give a letter to Cain?"

His coughing increased. "What? Can you repeat that, 'cause I thought you just asked me to look for _Cain_."

She crossed her arms, staring at him silently.

"I, uh, don't think that's a good idea."

Ace dropped her arms and hung her head. "I figured you'd say that."

"Look-"

"Don't," she interrupted, "I get it."

"I don't even know where to begin looking, Ace."

"Yeah."

He sucked down the rest of his drink. As he slammed the glass down, he announced: "we are doing shots!"

She chuckled and proceeded to line up a few shots for the two of them.

After they finished off two bottles, there was a moment of silence between them.

"I've got a bad feeling about her disappearance," Ace admitted.

"Me too, Sweetheart. Me too."


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm back for another chapter! My school work load is going to get crazy soon, so here is the result of today's procrastination!**

 **This chapter is much longer and a little all over the place, but it's got some plot! (That bit took an hour long discussion with a friend)**

 **So if you see any major mistakes, inconsistencies, etc., let me know! This chapter is a bit spontaneous.**

 **Hope you enjoy,**

 **Apples**

* * *

It wasn't terribly long after the appearance of Lilith that the current prophet stumbled in. The atmosphere immediately thickened with tension. The Keeper noticed immediately.

"I haven't seen a prophet look as washed up since Luke stumbled through my doors."

The poor man looked faintly startled.

"Details aren't always there, are they?" She poured him a glass of whisky, neat.

"How would you know?" he mumbled into his drink.

"Your prophetic tendencies are dulled on this plane of existence. I'm The Keeper, you can call me Ace." She poured a drink for another patron waiting patiently.

"Can I live here?" he jokingly asked.

"Unfortunately, you're needed elsewhere, but you are welcome anytime."

Some of the other patrons stared at the human. A quick glare was all that was needed to send their glares to the bottom of their drinks.

"My name's Chuck."

"Well, Chuck, it's nice to meet you…" She trailed off as he made eye contact. Then she knew. He wasn't a normal prophet. He was a vessel. And he was occupied, but not in the way angels do. No, instead it was a sort of dual occupancy. The soul was very much in control right now, but the pure divinity within was acting as a passive observer. She was tempted to demand where her sister was, but she knew it would do no good. The thing inside of Chuck was very good at non-answers and inactivity. "You've been through one hell of a ride, and I'm afraid it's only gonna get worse."

He groaned in despair.

The Winchesters walked in and as a result, a couple of demons left. They sat next to the prophet.

"Hey, Chuck."

The prophet moaned again, downing his drink just for Ace to refill it.

"What's going on with you two?" She gave them their drinks.

"We're meeting Castiel here. He's being-"

"Angel problems?"

"Well, yeah, actually. You know about them?"

"I'm leaving-" Chuck slapped some money down before shuffling out.

The three of them just blinked after him.

She shook herself out of her stupor and grabbed the empty glass. "Yeah, my sister is sort of one of them."

"Sort of?" Sam scrunched his face in confusion.

"She's like a cousin. Basically an angel, but not really."

"What is she then?" Now Dean looked equally confused as his brother.

The Keeper shrugged. "What am I?"

The two looked at each other, silently communicating, then shrugged. They busied themselves with their drinks.

"It's getting bad out there," She stated, "even from here I can tell. I-" She paused. Neutrality was a tricky thing. Technically, this could influence things, so she shouldn't say anything. Years of abiding by this rule won over. "Just be careful you two. Things are going to get much, much worse."

"If we can't stop Lucifer from rising, yeah, things will be Hell. Literally." Dean gave her a look.

She sighed. "I know. Lilith has been in here gloating." She stopped to mumble something rude under her breath. "I'm surprised Ruby hasn't done the same."

They both snapped their eyes to her.

"Ruby?" Sam questioned. "What about her?"

"What about her? Demons don't like her, I don't like her, angels don't like her." She shrugged. "I wouldn't trust her as far as she could throw me. Which is not at all."

Dean threw Sam a classic 'see?' look.

Sam shrugged in return. "She's not that bad."

The Keeper threw him an incredulous look. "I can smell it on you, Sam. It's not good, no matter what you might think. Demon blood is dangerous. Especially when ingested by something not demon."

His brother's expression grew back into a smug one.

"I don't want to talk about it."

She refilled their empty drinks. "Then don't." She nearly dropped her glass when for the first time in a very long time, an angel walked in, not counting a certain disguised one.

"Slumming it with us common folk?" She quipped as he reached the bar.

He tilted his head. "This isn't a slum, nor are you what would be classified as common."

"And you're too literal, like most of your brothers and sisters."

"I don't think we've met." He eyed her cautiously.

"We have." She narrowed her eyes. "It's not like your kind to just forget."

"No, it's not. That's why I'm certain we've never met."

"It was shortly before the plague was released in Egypt."

"My memories around that time are a little fuzzy," he admitted.

"Someone might have messed with your head," she suggested.

He squinted in thought.

"Cas, you made it!" Dean cheered.

"What did you want?" Straight to the point.

The Keeper left them to their conversation, thinking about the impending apocalypse.

There were many issues that would come up if she tried to directly interfere, mainly a loss of trust from her patrons. But, if she didn't, it would come down to a fight between Lucifer and Michael. If Lucifer won, it really would be Hell on Earth. First it would be humans, then it would be demons and witches and such. Not much would be left. If Michael won, it wouldn't be Hell, but there wouldn't be any life left anyway. If, somehow, they don't fight for one reason or another, the wheels are already set in motion and it would be up to God to interfere. But then the balance would still be off because of His sister.

So if she was going to interfere, it was going to be on a colossal scale. She was going to get her sister back and save the world and all the planes of existence with it, neutrality be damned.

Everyone sensed her change in determination and the whispers increased once more. No one had the courage to ask her what changed.


End file.
